Federal Government has dismissed viral reports claiming that the National Universities Commission (NUC) uncovered about 2,000 fake universities and 100 fake professors in Nigeria, describing the allegations as false and misleading.
Gatekeepers News reports that Federal Ministry of Education clarified that the commission neither made such declarations nor published, endorsed or authenticated the lists of individuals currently circulating on social media.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, made the clarification in a statement issued on Saturday by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
Alausa said the claims about fake professors were a distorted version of a media report published on December 3, 2019, concerning an NUC exercise to verify the directory of full professors in Nigerian universities.
He explained that the original report did not contain the names currently being circulated online, adding that the commission had since disowned the purported list.
“The NUC has never declared the existence of 2,000 fake universities in Nigeria or published, endorsed, or authenticated the purported list of individuals circulating online as fake professors,” the minister said.
The ministry expressed concern over the continued circulation of the allegations, warning that they could undermine public confidence in Nigerian universities and discredit efforts to improve the country’s higher education system.
“The ministry expresses concern over the persistent recycling of these false claims, which are calculated to undermine public confidence in Nigerian universities and discredit ongoing efforts to strengthen the education sector, particularly the university system,” the statement read.
The Federal Government consequently urged members of the public, media organisations and social media users to disregard the claims and avoid circulating unverified information about universities and academic qualifications.
It also advised Nigerians to verify information about recognised universities and academic standards through the NUC’s official communication channels.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the commission in safeguarding academic integrity, strengthening quality assurance and protecting the credibility and international reputation of Nigeria’s university education system.
